Time-control mechanism



I 4 June 1930. w. P. FRISCH 1,763,230

TIME CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Feb. 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR wal'er' my ATTORNEY June 10, 1930. w. P. FRISCH TIME CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Feb. 11, 1928 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY W Hake o no 3 R T7 i 8 n a 2 1 WP on av y a a n3 J \3 v Q W a 3 m M Wu H n V w h m 3 3 m a on m w W x 1 n a \H \-\M\ k ww w may u m E NN Q o 3 on 2 8 ma B L Qw n m O m 2w ow W 1'4 i 4 i r 4 1 u v i i R n NM n36 A15 ATTORNEY June 10, 1930. w. P. FRISCH TIME CONTROL MEEHANISM Filed Feb. 11. 1928 s'sneets-sh'eei a l III/III INVENTOR'. wauwP nae! In! ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1930 PATENT OFFICE WALTER P. FRISCH, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK TIME-CONTROL MECHANISM Application filed February 11, 1928.

The present invention relates to time control mechanisms. An object of this invention is to provide, in connection with a clock or timing mechanism, a simple and inexpensive 5 mechanism which may be operated from one of the hand shafts of a clock without impos ing upon the shaft a load of any great moment. Another object of the invention is to mount on one of the shafts of a clock a device which may be brought readily into connection with a rotary member having a common axis of turning with the shaft to impart from the shaft movement to the rotary member.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front view of the clock or timing mechanisn'i showing a portion of the door for the dial broken away;

Fig. 2 is an interior view of the mechanism with the rear face of the casing removed Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 33, Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44, Fig.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, Fig.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Fig. and

Fig. 7 is an end elevation with an end broken away to show interior parts.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, 1 indicates a casing closed by a removable rear plate 2 and having therein a clock or timing mechanism 3 of any desirable construction supported on a supporting plate 4 held by spacing'devices 5 in spaced relation to the front wall of the casing. The clock or timing mechanism has a minute hand shaft 6 supporting the minute hand. 7, and an hour hand shaft 8 supporting the hour hand 9, both hands being situated in front of the front wall of the casing and covered, in this Serial No. 253,733.

instance. by a cover 10 provided with a glass front and hinged at 11 to the front wall so as to render said hands readily accessible. The front wall of the casing has, in this instance, an opening 12 in which is arranged an annular member provided with a dial 123 over which the hands 7 and 9 operate. The annular member, in this instance, is supported against turning on the supporting plate 4.

The mechanism to be operated comprises, in this instance, a rotary member 14 mounted to turn about the axis of turning of the minute and the hour shaft 6 and 8 respectively and situated in rear of the central opening of the annular member. In this instance, this rotary member 14 is in the form of a disk having a hollow shaft 15 extending rearwardly therefron'i through a bearing 16 in the supporting plate 4, the hollow shaft 15 having a nut 17 at its inner end to cooperate with the end of the bearing 16 in order to hold the rotary member to the bearing 15. The minute and hour shafts 6 and 8 extend through this hollow or tubular bearing 15 from the clock or timing mechanism to the minute and hour hands 7 and 9 respectively operating over the dial 13.

Any suitable means may be employed for establishing driving connection between this rotary member 14 and the timing mechanism. In this instance, connection is established between the hour hand shaft 8 and the rotary member 14 preferably through the hour hand 9. To this end, the hour hand may carry a connecting device, in this instance, in the form of rearwardly extending teeth or prongs 18 adapted to be brought into engagement with interlocking means on the rotary member 14. This means on the rotary member comprises, in this instance, a ring of rubber 'or other. yielding material secured to the outer or front face of the rotary member 14 within the opening of the annular member. An an nular rib 13 may be provided about the opening of the annular dial carrying member in order to limit the amount the projections on the hour hau d are pressed in the yielding ring.

Suitable means may be employed for controlling the connection between the hour hand S) and the rotary member let. In this instance, this means may consist of one or more controlling devices adjustable about the axis of turning of the hour hand in a complete circle and engaging such hour hand to flex the lat r inwardly adjacent its free end in order to force the projections 18 into the disk 19, thereby causing the rotary member l; to turn with the hour hand, so long as the interlocking connection between the hour hand and the rotary member lei is maintained. Each controller, in this instance, is in the form of an arm 20 having a free end portion 21 turned inwardly to engage the hour hand as the latter moves by the 'c. The arm 20 is mounted on a shittable carrier 22 in the form of a headed screw which operates in an undercut way or guide 23 formed in the face of the annular member about the dial 123. Each arm 20 has the screw threaded portion of the carrier passed therethrough and a nut 2a engages the screw threaded portion and clamps the arm against the annular member. The cover 10 covers the guideway for the controllers as well as the inner ends of the controllers so that only the free ends of the controllers are visible. Each con troller may be shifted to any position over the dial so as to cause the hour hand to ie brought into connection with the rotary member 11- at any point in the travel of the hour hand over the dial 13.

(With the end in view of preventing the shifting of the rotary member 14: accidentally when the said rotary member is not connected with the timing mechanism, a combined retaining and centering device may be employed comprisin in this instance, a s g arm 25 secured at one end at 26 to the plate land having a ball 27 secured thereto and adapted to cooperate with the 'alls ot any one of the pockets 28 formed in the rear face of the member 14 in equispaced relation concentric with the axis of turning oi said member M. This ball imposes sutiicieut resistance to the turning of the member l t to prevent the accidental movement of the member 1% but it yields to permit the movement oi. the member 1% under the action oi" the timing mechanism, and centers the member 14.

The rotary member 14 may be employed for operating or controlling any suitable means or mechanism. In this instance, it operates a signalling device and controls an electri ral circuit. This is effected by forming the member l t with beveled gear teetl 29 which are engaged by a small beveled pinion 30 on a shaft 31 which is supported by pin bearings 32 at opposite ends adjustable on brackets 33 extending from the supporting plate 4. The shaft 31 is radial to the axis of turning oi? the member 14tand hes in rear of the front wall of the casing 1. It may carry a drum 3%; which projects through an opening in the front wall of the casing and is provided with undercut faces 36 receiving movable memorandum cards 87. The shaft 31 may also support a disk 38 of insulating material arranged at one end ol the drum 3d and having a contact embedded therein and provided with a pl rality of radially arranged arms 39 connected with a conductor sleeve d0 surrounding the shaft 31. This conductor sleeve is in turn engaged by a yielding contactarm i cured to a binding post 42. Another binding post has a yielding contact arm 44: secured thereto and arranged to engage the \e of the disk 38 so as to successfully en- 'e the contact arms 39. Any number of I e contact arms may be employed so but the arm i l will be engaged any desired iumber of times with each rotation oi the insulating disk 38. The switch thus formed may be employed for controlling any suitable electric api'iliance con cct-ed to the binding posts 42 and 43.

W'ith the end in view of o ierating a mechanical alarm with the operation of the member 1- an alarm or 'e'ual bel Z115 may be provided to be engaged b a V 11' which is controlled in the usual manner by a separate spring in the clock nn-ichanism. Moving with the striker arm is a controlling arm ll", the end of which coo iratcs with one end of the drum 3st so as to hold the iarm or signalling mechanism against action. lhis drum however has in its end a plurality of slots or openings lS one i which after the drum rotates becomes positioned adjacent the end of the arm 4i? and permits such end to drop therein and cause the alarm or signalling mechanism to function in the usual manner. If desired adjustable blocks a9 movable in the slots 4:8 by screw 50 i be employed to prevent the alarm from acrn 5 when the slots are reached, so that the alarm need not act on each movement of the drum.

The operation of the invention will be understood from the toregrring but it may be summarized as follows: The rotary member 1% with the parts connected thereto normally lies in a stationary condition. Assume that it is desired to operate any desired mechanism. one of the coi'itrollcrs 20 of which there may be any desired number adjusted over the dial 123 to the time at which it desired the men'ibcr 1 5; to turn. hen the hour hand 9 reaches the inwardly turned end 2t of a controller 20 itaid hand is l xed lateraily into interelding disk 19 whereby the iry member 14. are caused to turr short. period.

' is turned,

thus not only turning the drum 34 but also the rotary contact arms 39 to close the switch. At the same time, the controlling arm 47 drops in one of the slots48 and cruises the alarm to operate. The parts stay in these positions until the rotary member 14 is again turned through the flexing of the hour hand i) into engagement with the disk 19. After each flexing of the hour hand by one of the controllers 20, it automatically passes out of engagement with the disk 19 when the hour hand has passed beyond the controller 20.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A time controlled mechanism comprising a clock mechanism having its hour and minute shafts coaxially arranged, a member mounted to turn about the common axis of said shafts, and two cooperating devices, one on the rotary member turning with the latter and the other making complete rotations with one of the shafts and conncctible with the device on the rotary member so that the two devices turn together and stationary means engaging the part turning with the shaft for effecting connection between the rotary member and said part.

2. A time controlled mechanism comprising a clock mechanism having its hour and minute shafts coaxially arranged, a member mounted to turn about the common axis of said shafts, means extending about and in spaced relation to the axis of the member, and means carried by one of said shafts in spaced relation to the axis of the shafts and movable into engagement with the means on the rotary member to cause the rotary member to turn with said shaft and stationary means engaging the part turning with the. shaft for effecting connection between the rotary member and said part.

3. A time controlled mechanism comprising a clock control mechanism having its minute and hour shafts axially arranged, a a minute and an hour hand connected respectively to said shafts, a rotary member mounted to turn about the common axis of the shafts, means arranged on said rotary member concentric with and in spaced relation to the axis of said member, and means carried by one of the hands to turn therewith in a complete circle and movable into engagement with the means on the rotary member to cause the rotary member to turn with the said hand and stationary means engaging the part turning with the shaft for effecting connection between the rotary member and said part.

4. A time controlled mechanism comprising a clock mechanism having its hour and minute shafts coaxially arranged, a member mounted to turn about the common axis of said shafts, means arranged on said rotary member concentric with and in spaced relation to the axis of said member, a flexible arm secured to one of the shafts, and a device carried by said arm in spaced relation to the axis of said shaft and moving into engage ment with the means on the rotary member to cause the latter to turn with the arm.

5. A time controlled mechanism comprising a clock mechanism having its hour and. minute shafts coaxially arranged, a member mounted to turn about the common axis of said shafts, means arranged on said rotary member concentric with and in spaced relation to the axis of said member. a flexible hand secured to one of said shafts, and means carried by said hand in spaced relation to the axis of its shaft and movable into engagement with the means on the rotary member to cause the latter to turn with. the hand and stationary means for flexing said hand to cause said device to engage said member to cause the member to turn with the hand.

6. A time controlled mechanism comprising a clock mechanism having its hour and minute shafts coaxialiy arranged, a member mounted to turn about the common axis of said shafts, yielding means arranged on said member about the axis of the latter-,a flexible arm secured to one of the shafts, and a projecting device carried by said arm in spaced relation to the axis of said shaft and moving on the flexing of the arm into engagement with the yielding means of the rotary member to cause the latter to turn with the arm.

7. A. time cmltrolled mcclmnism comprising a clock mechanism having its hour and minute shafts cmixially arranged, a member mounted, to turn about the common axis, two cooperating devices, one on the rotary member turning with the latter and the other connected to one of the shafts to make complete rotations with the latter, a controller for cooperating with said last mentioned cooperating device to move the latter into engagement with the first mentioned device, and means for adjusting said controller in a complete circle about the coaxially arranged shafts.

8. A time controlled mechanism compris ing a clock mechanism having its hour and minute shafts coaxially arranged, a disk like member mounted to turn about the common axis of said shaft, means arranged on said rotary disk like member concentric with and in spaced relation to the axis of said member, a flexible hand secured to one of said shafts and turning therewith, a device carried by said hand and movable upon the flexing of said hand into and out of engagement with said concentric means on the rotary member, and a controller adjustable in a complete circle about the axis of rotation of the hand and adapted to engage the latter to flex the same so as to bring the device there a into engagement with the concentric in, ms on the rotary member.

9. A time controlled mechanism comprising a clock mechanism having its hour and minute shafts coaxially arranged, a flexible hand secured to one of said shafts and turning therewith, movable means arranged to be engaged by said flexible hand in any position to which the hand may be turned, and a controller adjustable in a complete circle about the axis of rotation of the hand and adapted to engage the latter to flex the same so as to bring said hand into engagement with the movable means.

WALTER P. FRISCH. 

